Final Fnatasy VII
by Ben F. Hollister
Summary: A novelization of FFVII, with a few extra surprises...sequel pending
1. Prolouge: Six Years Ealier

**Final Fantasy**

**Prologue**

Energy in it's most simplistic form is by it's very nature more complex than anything that we can ever hope to comprehend. Whether you believe that we were all zapped into existence by some infallible creator or we came to be through a series of complex coincidences there is nothing that suggest that energy is a force to be reckoned with. 

            From the dawn of time it is known that there are some things, no matter how hard you try, that cannot be tamed. Man has been in the presence of fire for thousands of year—but every day something is ravaged and destroyed by the same flames which cook and coexist with life.

            Natural things belonging to the planet are impossible to tame because of the simple fact that the planet must fight. There is an ultimate will to fight buried deep in all things natural. Water that has been restricted to a more narrow bank because of damns and irrigation will often break out and take back more land that it had at it's prime.

            Fire that is used to cook with in a camp will sometimes catch the wind and devastate the land around it. 

            These things fight back against anything that disturbs them, including people. But most people have the exact opposite response; push them and they give in. Push a little harder and they give up. Push the hardest and they let go of everything they held dear and fall apart. These men are not the ones that make history progress, because all they could do was follow behind that one that pushed the hardest. That one that pushed the hardest was a True Fighter. True Fighters affect the history of the world, whether positively or negatively. True Fighters push a little harder when faced with a challenge. True Fighters never give up, give in, let up, or let go…

            But True Heroes do it all for the one they love and the ideas they hold dear—

From a distance the planet seemed to be a blue ball of total lifelessness. But from a distance it appeared at peace, the only struggle that could be seen was between the clouds and sky; water and land. These were peaceful struggles, the water lapped gently at the belt of the land. The clouds swirled across the clear sky like milky wisps of cotton—there was peace from a distance.

            As the other stars are neglected and the focus becomes this small blue planet you can see what the true struggle is—man.

"I fought because fighting was all I was ever good at, but at least I always fought for what I believed in…"—Gray Fox (Cyborg Ninja) Metal Gear Solid One

Sixteen Years Earlier… 

On the southern plains of the eastern most island in the world there raged a battle like none before it. The battle over a way of life. Men clashed at the frontlines, slamming into each other with sword. Sparks flew from the blades and dropped back to the ground with burying themselves in the grass. 

            A great misty mix of gunpowder smoke mixed with fog rose over the battlefield as the sun emerged over the shore. The screams of pain filled the air with explosions and metal clashing. 

            Technology and mysticism mixed, Magic met sheer firepower. But one always seemed to outdo the other, because of one simple reason—Energy. It was the key the survival of man, energy from a seemingly unending source. The side that had this energy happed to be the Shinra. It was at the very start of the war that this became the case. Right from the first few scrimmages it was a sure thing who would take the prize. 

            The leader of the opposing Wutai Army knew this, as did the Shinra themselves. But pride and beliefs had started this war more than anything. And all that could come from it's end was proof undeniable who was right all along. 

            So many a man had to lose his life for pride, so many a woman had to tell her children what had become of their father as they cried. It was a dirty thing, but there were people who also didn't mind losing their life, people who had nothing to live for all along; people who were born to fight—who would die fighting. And all the time in between there would be a constant battle raging on inside of their heads and hearts. 

            This battle would tempt them with unimaginable things and could turn them against their fellow man. And as the Shinra Gelinka Arial Assaulters zoomed overhead punching machine gun rounds and bombs into the Wutai army, a lone swordsman led the charge headlong into the explosions made by his own side. The name of this great warrior is etched in the very fabric of history, intertwined with the destiny of the world: Sephiroth!

            His form was tall and muscular, handsome and young. He had long white hair that almost shimmered silver and light blue eyes. His face had a complex and sharp bone structure. His chin was void of hair, as was his upper lip. His nose was pointed and thin, but not the most noticeable feature he had.

            Down his long slender neck his body was cloaked in a black trench coat that covered all of his rippling muscular chest and most of his legs. He wore black leather pants stuffed into shimmering high black boots. 

            The weapon he carried was a long sword, too heavy for any _normal _man to carry. It reach well over Sephiroth's height and had to be curved as to not hit the ground. The blade was strong and tempered; allowing him to cast various spells through it and reflect certain ones back more easily. He truly was the greatest warrior there was, the greatest fighter that the world had seen.

             And he was there the day that Wutai fell, the same day that he charged through the bombs and fought countless men at once with but a sword. Later that night, in front of the Wutai Dojo surrounded by fires that had once been the land governed in the dojo, Wutai's leader, Emperor Godo signed his city over to the Shinra; only to become a resort town.

            Sephiroth and a group of about five had battled their way to the center of this place; Sephiroth himself had carried the pen and contract signed by Godo—he had changed the history of Wutai and the world…

            …so many others had died trying…


	2. Chapter One: The Mission

**Chapter One: The Mission**

Peaceful nighttime had sunk into the city long ago; it sunk in the day that Shinra Corporation took it's hold on the city of Midgar. The night came from the fact that the sun had been mostly blocked out by large sectioned off plates that covered the city. There was small gapes between them and when it rained that was the only taste of outside, the people's only taste of hope. 

         The peace had come at the time people realized that they would not dare to challenge Shinra; they controlled electric power in the city, trade, and almost any other aspects of life. It wasn't long before the only chapter you could receive on your television was Shinra Electric and Power News. For years the Shinra conquered all of the continents around them

         The air was still wet from the torrential rains that had come earlier that day. Where there was water light was reflected up to the side of the buildings. The city was covered in grim soulless people, each trapped in his or her own web of deceit.

         A lone man walked along the side of the train tracks, on his way to some place that not even he cared if her got there. Still somehow he managed to keep moving in that direction. 

         The ground shook, and from behind him a huge train rumbled past him. The shaking as it continued by it became and more violent. Sparks shot up from the wheels as the train tried it's hardest to stop. 

         There was a towering chain link fence with a hold just big enough for the train to fit through. An abundance of sparks flared up from the tracks after the train came through the fence and stopped.

         Out on the side of the train there was a wide concrete walkway; two guards clad in plastic blue armor stood at attention. They were tall and wore helmets with black concealing glass in the front over their eyes. As the train whistle sounded neither of the guards moved to do anything. 

         From the top of the rusted old train a muscular male's figure jumped and kicked the first of the guards. The second guard turned to see what all of the commotion was over, upon noticing the trespasser he called out, "Hey, you kids can't—" 

         A male figure and a female figure jumped out and slammed the last guard to the ground. The red headed female took him up and started to cracked his neck as the two males hurried off through a door on the side of the room.

         One heavy set male jumped from the side of the train and scurried off through the door. Then the last figure appeared from the side of the train, walking out coolly with spiked tall standing blonde hair. He was mildly tall, had a gold earring in his left ear. His left shoulder and waist were covered by large metallic bangles; the one on his shoulder having spiked jutting from it. His gloves were dark brown with large metal rings holding them on. He had a dark blue vest and pants and short boots.

         He started to step over the bodies left on the ground by his comrades, but before he could get to the door where they had gone; two guards rushed out from the next room holding machine guns, "Halt intruder!" they screamed in unison.

         The blonde man pulled his sword, but this was no normal blade. The silvery weapon was two feet wide and four feet long, he held it between his hands rolling his fingers along the leather strap that covered the handle.

         He was silent as the first guard swung his gun out like a club and charged him, the gun came down to hit him. The blonde brought his sword up and swiped the gun away from him. He then kicked the guard back and sliced his arm off. 

         The guard cried in pain as blood ran down the side of his uniform. "Ah, my arm! He cut off my arm!" he fell to the ground rolling in spasmatic pain.

         "You're under arrest!" screamed the remaining guard as he raised his gun. The gun fired, but quickly the trespasser twirled his sword deflecting the bullets. The guard's clip quickly ran out and he shook the gun in anger, "I'll kill you with my bare hands!" shouted the guard with crazed angry clouding his mind.

         The blonde man stood there, the expression on his face was one of indifference. The final guard charged twirling the gun and readying himself for attack. Before the guard could reach the man, the blonde dodged him by stepping to the side. Just as the guard reached where he had been his leg was sliced by the sword. 

         When he fell the blonde stood over him and looked down, the first thing that the guard noticed now was the man's eyes. There were a glowing blue green color, almost mystical. The guard mumbled, "A SOLDIER?"

         His final statements were cut short as the blonde slammed the large sword blade first down into the neck of the guard cutting his head off. He then raised his sword up and started to walk out of the room, as he did he wiped the blade down with a towel. 

         He slipped the sword back into its scabbard and walked through the door to the next room. When he entered the room the other's were there waiting for him, the cubby one was standing in front of a large orange gate. The propeller on the top of his beanie was spinning slowly as he fumbled with a control panel next to the gate.

         A tall, muscular dark skinned man with a mini-gun on his right arm stood to one side of the gate, his arms were folded and he stroked the top of the gun on his arm. He was wearing a green vest that opened to his bare chest in the front. His black hair was a buzz cut. 

         On the opposite side of the door were the first two off the train; the first was a muscular man with slightly tanned skin and brown hair in a tank top. The red headed female had a soft face with gorgeous light blue eyes. She was wearing a dingy white shirt with green sleeves and trim.

         The muscular brown haired man unfolded his arms and looked to the side at the blonde swordsmen, "Wow! You used to be in SOLDIER all right!" There was a short pause and silence, "Not everyday ya find one in a group like AVALANCHE."

         The tall dark skinned man slammed his fist back into the concrete wall hard, "Wedge, keep quiet 'fore I thrash ya!" he exclaimed.

         "SOLDIER? Aren't they the enemy?" asked the red head. "What's he doing in AVALANCHE?"

         The chubby man in the beanie turned to the red head, "Hold it, Jessie. He was in SOLDIER, he quit them and now is one of us!" Then he turned back to the blonde man, "I'm Wedge, these guys are Jessie, Biggs and Barret—didn't catch yer name…"

         "Cloud…" the blonde said in a sort of monotone voice, "I don't care what your names are, once the jobs I'm outta here, got it?"

         Barret looked around at all of them, "What the hell are we doin' here, I thought I told you to never move in a group!" he said. "Our targets the North Mako Reactor, we'll meet on the bridge in front of it."

         Just then the door burst open and Wedge, Biggs and Jessie crashed through. Cloud started to move, but Barret stepped in front of him catching him roughly by his right arm, "Yer tha Ex-SOLDIER, huh? Don't trust ya!" Barret then turned and charged through the door where the others had gone.

         Hesitating only momentarily, Cloud glanced up at the huge Mako Reactor that stood before him, somewhere in the back of his head a voice that was vaguely familiar whispered, _Brings back memories, doesn't it?" _

         He dwindled on the thought and then charged off across the brick pathway trying to catch up with the others. He took a right, then a left and found himself face to face with two guard dogs. They barred his path, standing side by side and showing their ivory teeth.

         _So you want some too, do ya boys? Cloud thought to himself. He dove at the two dogs with his sword out. The first dog went down with two slashes, flying back just as the second cut was in place. The final dog jumped to one side growling harshly, then it pounced forward with it's mouth gaping open. _

         Cloud dropped back and kicked the dog in the under belly, it sailed over his head right into a wall face first with a satisfying whimper. Just before he jumped to his feet he noticed a large yellow sign above blink the word: WARNING—INTRUDER.

         Knowing that there would more people awaiting them than the plan had been made for, Cloud hurried outside, this time keeping his sword drawn and at ready. He broke out into the artificial light of the city just as his feet hit the t-shaped catwalk. To the right there was the tall round metallic structure of the reactor and straight ahead of him there was Wedge. 

         Cloud ignored the presences of Wedge and headed for the reactor, just as he turned to go in the reactor's front entrance Wedge called out, "I'll secure the escape passage. Concentrate on the mission, Cloud." His voice echoed ominously then he muttered something that was barely audible over the horrendous hum of the reactor, "Gee, we're really gonna blow the furnace—that'll be something to see."

         The hum grew louder, killing any chance Cloud had to hear other comments made by Wedge. He stepped into a room that was a long hallway with a door at the end to the left. Biggs was bothering a control panel to the side of the door while Jessie and Barret watched.

         Just as Cloud got to where Barret could see him Barret called out, "Yo! This yo first time in a reactor?"

         Cloud took a sarcastic tone, "No. After all I did work for Shinra, y'know?" 

         Barret continued to explain his take on things, "The planet's full of Mako energy. People here use it every day," he paused. "It's the life blood of this planet. But the Shinra keep suckin' the blood out with these weird machines…"

         "I'm not here for a lecture, let's just hurry—they know we're here already…"

         Barret stomped in anger, "That's it! You're comin' with me from now on!" he grabbed Cloud by the arm pulling him closer to the door where Biggs and Jessie were.

         "Code deciphered!" Biggs said as the door opened.

         They all ran through and Jessie and Biggs got to the next door quick to start on the code, as they got the keypad open Biggs said, "Think of how many people risked their lives for this one code—"

         The second door opened easier than the first, and right there in front of the four of them was an open elevator door. Jessie was the first one there, then Biggs. Barret dug Cloud into the doors last.

         As they got in Biggs hit the button on the side of the elevator, Barret started to talk again, "Little by little the reactors'll drain out all the life. And that'll be that."

         Cloud's only response was, "It's not my problem."

         Barret shook his fist at Cloud, "Don't you understand, the planet's dyin', Cloud!"

         "The only thing I care about is finishin' this job before security and the Roboguards come." Cloud said.

         Barret turned away and kicked the wall in anger. 

         The elevator doors opened to the outside world again, the light from above beat down on them. Slowly Jessie and Biggs exited the elevator, "It's all clear," Jessie said trying to forget the entire altercation that had occurred.

         To the right of them there was a long flight of steel red stairs that made one stop at a mid level platform and then dove into the depths of the reactor. It was apparent that they were nearing the core. But something seemed wrong.

         Biggs started down the steps, "Shouldn't there be more security than this?" he asked looking at Cloud.

         Without a word Cloud looked back at Barret and just rolled his eyes, he just refused to answer the question. Jessie followed Biggs and Barret came down with Cloud in tow. He tried his best to pull Cloud too fast for Cloud to keep up with him, but Cloud was more cunning that to let himself fall.

         They reached the middle platform and continued single file to the next set of steps, "This is really starting to feel weird, it's all too easy," Jessie said.

         "Move slower from here on out," said Cloud in a low voice.

         All of them reached the bottom of the great pit with no avail, there was a large metal door barring the entrance into the lower reactor core. Barret let go of Cloud and walked over to the door, "What is this shit?"

         Cloud rolled his eyes, "I think that would be what we call a door," he said in a sarcastic tone.

         "Shut up foo!" Barret yelled, "Stand back while I blow this sucka wide open."

         Cloud stepped back and let his hand flow out in front of him like he was presenting something, "Have at it," he said.

         Biggs looked at him, "Do you think you can cut that door down with the gun?" he asked.

         Barret just opened fire on the door blowing it to shreds as the bullet ripped the metal plat into strips of shrapnel. Without a word he lowered the smoking hot gun and motioned for them to move through the door. 

         Biggs looked around, "I don't like the smell of this situation, I'll hang around out here and warn ya if I pick up any bad vibes."

         Barret nodded and followed Cloud and Jessie into the bowels of the reactor, just inside the door there was a ladder leading down to a large pipe that crossed over to many smaller pipes. 

         The descent on the ladder was short, they reached the small pipes and stopped to change to the ladder that led to the lowest part of the reactor. Jessie stood on the small pipes where they were all running together. 

         "I'll start to over ride the pressure in these pipes, our bomb won't without it!" she said.

         Cloud stopped and folded his arms, then he said softly, "Just be careful."

         Barret grabbed him by the arm and pointed him in the direction of the other ladder, they slid down it to save time and jumped to a long wooden boardwalk. Below the catwalk there was solid rock that was so dark it was almost purple, two pipes from the side of the reactor dove deep down into the planet.

         From the point of entry of the pipes glowing green steam rose up to meet the raw air and dissipated quickly becoming invisible. The biggest of the two pipes came up and met the wall right below a large metal bulge that appeared to be a hatch. At the front of the hatch was a wheel.

         "The core," Cloud said taking the lead.

         Barret noticed something glimmering in the middle of the catwalk, he pointed to it, "What tha hell is that on the ground?" he asked.

         Cloud glanced down right at his feet to see a green shimmering orb, "A Magic Materia—" Cloud said kneeling down to pick it.

         "It's small," Barret said looking over Cloud's shoulder to look at it. 

         Cloud nodded and walked forward a little more, Barret followed him, "When we blow this place, this ain't gonna be nothin' more than a hunka junk," Barret said. "Cloud you set the bomb," Barret slapped him on the back.

         "Shouldn't you do it?" asked Cloud.

         Barret stomped his foot, "Jus' do it! I gotta watch to make sure you don't pull nothin'!"

         "Fine be my guest."

         As Cloud made the smart comment his head sunk down, there was a loud ringing in his ear that he couldn't take and the voice that he had heard in the back of his head, now louder said, _"Watch out! This isn't just a reactor!!"_

_         It was at that moment Cloud saw an image flash in his head, it was vague and blurry—but he could tell that it took place in a reactor, but one more primitive than this one. The area was much smaller and the pipes were packed in closer because there was less room._

         In the image in his mind a girl bent over a horribly maimed, it was a bearded man with dark hair. His skin was pale and blood stained. The girl that was over him had very pale skin and dark brown, almost raven hair. Her head almost completely covered by her large brow cowboy hat, it was hard to see her face. Light starry tears formed under her eyes as she gasped out in a raspy voice, "Father…

         Then she threw her head back defiantly and called out, "Mako, Shinra, Sephiroth, SOLIDER…I hate them all!" then she reached over and picked up the sword next to her father's body and charged off further into the reactor.

         Cloud spent a few seconds thinking on who this could be…she looked so familiar…   

_         "What's wrong?" asked Barret breaking the fabric of the image._

         Cloud picked his head up, "Huh?"

         "What's wrong, Cloud? Hurry up!" Barret exclaimed.

         Cloud shook his head, "…Yeah, sorry." Cloud stepped forward and started to press the buttons on the bottom of the large metal hatch. He had to squeeze his fingers up under the wheel to get at some of them.

         Just as he finished a loud alarm sounded from up above, "That sounds about like what I expected would happen!" Cloud yelled over the alarm as he drew out his sword.

         "Heads up, here they come!" Barret yelled aiming his gun back down the catwalk. 

         The guardian of the reactor dropped from the ceiling and landed in the middle of the catwalk blocking their only exit. It was a robotic orange scorpion with a large drill like tail that swayed out behind it. On the sides of it's imitation insect torso were two large cannons with machine guns mounted below them. The machine paced back in forth sizing up it's targets.

         It advanced on them slowly, waving it's tail up and down. Cloud looked to his side at Barret, "Be careful, if you attack when the tail is up it'll harness the strength of your blows for it's own attack!" he said.

         "If I attack he ain't gonna be alive to harness nothin'!" Barret boasted.

         Cloud sprung off the ground and lashed out at the robot with his sword he caught the side of one of it's legs and it stumbled a little and stepped back. 

         Barret opened fire on the thing hitting it in the front middle of the torso, steam poured through the holes his gun made, but the scorpion stabbed at him hard with the drill tail and pireced the side of his leg, he cried out in pain.

         Cloud slit the under belly of the creature open, wires and metal poked through the large opening he had made. Just as he stepped out behind the bot he saw the tail go up. The bot started to turn where it could see him again, as the front reach Cloud, Barret called out from where he was on the ground.

         "Take this ya over grown insect!" he fired his gun at the things back.

         Reacting on the attack, the whipped back and fired a beam of the harnessed energy at Cloud where he was in front of it. Just before the beam could smack into Cloud, he brought his large sword up and deflected the beam back into the face of the machine. 

         With that the robotic guard became disoriented and started to sway back and fourth until it stepped into the railing of the catwalk. The thin metal gave way and the damaged piece of machinery plummeted over the edge slamming into the rock below.

         Cloud ambled over to Barret holding the Materia orb he had picked up earlier, "I think this is a Restore—I can use the magic from this orb to heal you," Cloud said.

         Barret winced in pain, "Jus' hurry it up then!" 

         Cloud slipped the small orb into a slot on his glove and then popped his fingers expertly. Holding his hands out ahead of him; he opened them with the palms facing up and closed them pulling them back towards his body.

         When the motion finished a green shimmering cloud of glittering little objects that looked like stars fell over Barret's leg healing the wound instantly. Cloud reached down and helped Barret up, "We have to get out of here, this thing is going to blow in four minutes," Cloud pointed to the timer that was now on the gauge where buttons had bee.

         Barret shook his leg a little still slightly surprised by the healing power of the orb, Cloud grabbed him by the arm and the two of them bolted back down the catwalk to the ladder, they scampered up hurriedly.

         When they reached the set of pipes they noticed Jessie yanking at her leg, her foot was caught between two of the small pipes on the side. "Barret, go on ahead, I'll get her out," Cloud said.

         Barret nodded and ran over the next ladder, "Good luck, mofo!" he scampered up it.

         Cloud walked over and grasped Jessie's leg gently, she spoke as he did, "Cloud, go on without me, here's the code for the door—" she said.

         "No, I'm getting my money for completing the job with no casualties," said Cloud. He pulled her leg down deeper into the hole, slid it forward and then lifted it free. "Are you alright?"

         She nodded, "Yeah but I might have sprained it," she said.

         Cloud knelt down, "Get on my back and hang on—we'll get you up that ladder!" he said determined.

         Jessie wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled her body flat against his back, she closed her eyes and nuzzled right into the soft back of his shirt where his collar went up in a turtle neck. 

         "Are ya ready?" he asked.

         "Yeah."

         He took off in a fleeting sprint, even with that weight on his back. The reactor began to crumble around them; hunks of flaming metal sailed down past them. Cloud barely dodged one with the help of Jessie's warning; then he dove on the ladder and started the hand over hand climb back up.

         Adrenaline must have taken total control of his body, because he reached the top fast than he had come down. He reached the next room with the towering sets of stairs ahead of him but didn't slow one bit. He hit them running, his heart pounded like a thousand blacksmiths worked within him. 

         He hit the middle platform coming down hard and heading for the next set of steps, he was off like a rocket and flew up the steps with the door to the front room of the reactor in sight.

         Jessie huffed in fear as they hit level ground, "We'll never make it Cloud!" she yelled.

         He didn't answer her, but kept running, pumping himself than he could have remembered doing for a long time. They entered the elevator and it carried them up to the room with the set of code activated doors. 

         To their surprise all of the doors were open due to the alarms red alert about the reactor. Cloud seemed to sense that they were open as he came out of the elevator like a bolt of blonde lightning. 

         Passed the first code door, then the second, then the final one and there was the door to the outside. They were within feet of the door when from behind them came a ground shaking explosion that blew the wall where the elevator was off.

         Cloud dove out the reactor door and hit the artificial light of the city, his body slammed on the exit catwalk hard. He made sure to keep Jessie from taking any of the brunt of the fall. 

         Before he could look around he got back to his feet and ran for the spot where he had last seen Wedge; just as he turned the t-shaped part of the walkway the big explosion came throwing him forward into a little tunnel and sending rocks sailing past him.


	3. Chapter Two: Under the Rotting Pizza

**Chapter Two: Under the Rotting Pizza**

"That should keep the planet going…at least a bit longer," Cloud could hear Bigg's voice over the sound of some kind of beeping computer.

            Wedge just responded, "Yeah."

            It was Barret's inaudible grumbled that brought Cloud back fully into their world, "Okay! Now everyone get back!" Jessie said. 

            Cloud sat up, "Are you alright?" he asked.

            "Yeah, com'on!" she pulled him up. 

            The two of them headed back through a flaming opening that the others were headed towards. Fire licked at the ceiling above them as the ran out. "You're leg?" Cloud said.

            "It feels a lot better that the swelling went down, thank you," she said.

            Wedge, Barret and Biggs were right outside of the opening waiting for them. When they were spotted Barret said, "All right, now let's get out of here. Rendezvous at Sector Eight station, split up and get on the train!"

            Biggs Wedge and Jessie took off in different directions, Jessie gave Cloud a little wink as she went off. Cloud turned to Barret, "H—hey!"

            "If it's about your money, save it 'til we get back to the hideout!" Barret said and then ran off up a flight of stairs.

            Cloud walked off heading back in the direction of the train station. He went of the flight of stairs dodging old emptied out car bodies and bits of machinery that were lying around. He came out into a cobble stone street where people charged around in panic trying to get as far from the reactor before Shinra police showed up. 

            Cars were rolled over in the street and the power was flickering, but Cloud moved slowly so not to arouse suspicion. He came down the side of the curb and there was a theater at the corner, posters for the hit musical _Loveless dotted the walls of the building. Critics' opinions on the musical were on the posters too._

            Cloud had wanted to see the thing, but knew the time wasn't now. He found a fountain on the sidewalk and walked over to it. He stepped on the pedal that activated the water flow and started to wash his hands in it. He started to rub a little of the water on his face.

            A voice from behind him interrupted him, "Excuse me," the voice was soft and melodious, like ringing bells chiming out the occasion of a wedding. He looked up to see a flower girl standing there, when she saw his face she asked, "What happened?" 

            Cloud stood fully up and dunked his hands deep in his pockets, "Nothing…hey, listen…" Cloud paused as he saw what she was holding and as he saw the rest of her. She had soft pale skin and gorgeous green eyes. Her hair was a chestnut brown and flowed down in front of her eyes in untamed bangs. The back reached down to her knees and was done up and in big beautiful braids that were held together by pin laces. 

            There was a big pink bow at the start of the first braid. She wore a red short sleeved jacket that stopped at her midriff and a long pin strapless dress.

            Cloud glanced down at the basket of flowers on her arm, "Don't see many flowers around here."

            She smiled, "Oh these? Do you like them—their only one gil…?" 

            "I'll take one." 

            "Oh thank you!" she plucked a red flower from the basket and handed it to him, "Here you are, she said in a cheery voice. Then she vanished off down the brick street. 

            Cloud continued down the road at amore hurried pace now, he took his trek down a back alley that met up with the next street over. Just over the buildings from that was Sector Eight train station.

            Just as he was about to reach the next street a loud booming voice that could have only been a soldier called out, "Hey! You there!!"

            Cloud started to run, he reached the center of the street then guards approached from both ends of the street. He cornered against a wall of Shinra and a hole that led to the under ground part of the train.

            "Halt, you are under arrest!" yelled one of the soldiers clad in the same blue uniform as the ones Cloud had dealt with earlier.

            Cloud shook his head, "Sorry, I really don't have time to be messing with you guys!" he said.

            "Grab that kid, he's just babbling!" said another of the soldiers.

            Cloud heard a train whistle right below them and moments later the train passed out from under the tunnel, the top of it was going by fairly rapidly. Cloud weight the options and then turned and dove onto the top of the train speeding off and looking back at his pursuers with a smile.

            A while into the ride Cloud searched for a way into the train, he slung his body down over the side. Sweat dripped off his forehead stringing his eyes a bit. But he kept swing back and forth until he was able to kick one of the side panels of the train in, with a loud scream he flipped inside to be greeted by Barret, Biggs, Jessie and Wedge.

            "Looks like I'm a little late," he said.

            Barret slammed his fist down on top of one of the crates next to him, "Yo damn right, you're late!! Come waltzin' in here makin' a big scene!"

            "No big deal, just what I always do," Cloud said.

            "Shi't!" Barret said, "Havin' everyone worried like that you don't give a damn 'bout no one but yerself!" 

            Cloud got a cocky smile, "Hmm, you were worried about me?" 

            "Wha!" Barret called. "I'm takin; it outta your money hot stuff!" He walked to the front of the car. "Wake up, we're movin out, follow me." 

            When Barret was gone Wedge turned and said, "He Cloud, you were great back there!"

            "Hehe…Cloud, we'll do even better next time!" Biggs said, he and Wedge walked off.

            Jessie walked over to the open door, "Wish I could shut this, be careful around it," she turned to Cloud, "Oh your face is covered in dirt," she wiped it clean. "There ya go."

            She walked a little ways towards the door, "Thanks for helping me back at the reactor there," she said and then walked out of the train car.

            Cloud hesitated a moment and followed after her. A loud booming voice came over the inter come, _"Last train out of Sector Eight Station Last Stop is Sector Seven Train Graveyard. Expected Arrival time is 12:23 AM Midgar Standard Time…"_

            Barret was next to an old man on the side bench of the train, Biggs was in the far front corner alone and Wedge and Jessie were examining something. Cloud walked up to where Jessie and Wedge were.

            "Someday our group will be famous and so will I!" Wedge declared to Cloud.

            Cloud ignored it and taped Jessie on the arm, "What's that?" he asked.

            "Hey Cloud, wanna take a look with me?" she asked, "it's a map of the Midgar Rail System, let's look together and I'll explain," she paused. "I like this kind of stuff—bombs, monitors you know flashy stuff."

            She pointed to the screen, "Okay, it's about to start," on the screen there appeared a green wire diagram of the city of Midagr. The citer was circular with the tallest buildings residing in the middle. There were two plates of the city, and upper and lower. People in the lower plate had to deal with all of the pollution and grim that sunk down from the Mako reactors.

            "This is a complete model of Midgar," Jessie went on to say. "The top plate is fifty meters above ground, a main support structure holds the plate up in the middle while the plate over ever sector has it's own support…we blew up the first reactor in the northern part of the city. The numbers go up all the way to Eight. Together they provide Midgar with power. Each of the eight sectors have a designated reactor, but two could function off one reactor if need be.

            "All of the sectors used to be named but no one in town remembers them—that's just the kind of place this has become. Now look at this, this is the route our train is on," she started up again pointing to a path marked by white dots that lead from one sector to another. "The route spirals around the main support structure, we should be coming around the center right now. 

            "There are ID sensors at each of the check points in the city, it checks backgrounds of everyone in the train by linking to a central data base at the Shinra building—which is here," she pointed to the tallest building in the center of the city. "We're using fake IDs—so no foul!"

            Suddenly red lights began to flash in the train car and a siren sounded, "Speak of evil…that mean's were at the ID scan checkpoint," Jessie said.

            Then, as abruptly as it had come the lights returned to normal and the train continued on its spiraling path. Barret leaned back and looked out the window, "Look you can see up to the surface, this city doesn't even have a day or night—if the plate weren't there we could see the sky…" 

            Cloud walked over and gazed out too, "A floating city, pretty unsettling scenery," he said.

            Barret stood and folded his arms, "Huh? Never expected that out of the likes of you!" he paused. "You jus' fulla surprises!" Barret moved to the front of the car, "The upper world…a city on a plate…it's jus 'cuz of that fucking 'pizza' on a plate that people down here are sufferin'!"

            "Then why not just more to the upper plate, no brainer there…" Cloud said.

            Barret sighed, "Dunno, probably 'cuz they ain't got no money. Or maybe cuz they love their home no matter how bad it gets."

            "I know, no one lives in the slums because they want to. It's like this train: it can't run anywhere but where the rails take it…" Cloud gazed out and the train reached the station in Sector Seven.

Barret was the first off the train, "Yo!! Get over here, all ya!" Cloud, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie all gathered around. "This mission was a good one, but don't get lazy yet, don't be scared of that explosion cause the next will be bigger!"  Barret ran a little distance ahead, meet back at the hideout, move!"

            Everyone ran back to the hideout, but Cloud walked slowly. As he left the train station there were mounds of trash piled up taller than him. He started to wonder about what Jessie was saying about all of the sectors having names and wondered how it would all be if the place was clean.

            Then he looked off to the side to see a large towering object with stairs circling around it all the way to the top. He stared at it, "That's the support she was talking about—how does it hold up all that weight?" he asked himself.

            He stopped and looked at it a little longer, then from somewhere a kids voice called to him, "Hey mister!"

            Cloud looked down to see a young boy standing by the bottom of the support pillar, the boy was as close as you could get without jumping the fence.

            "Mister look at how high up it goes—one day I'm gonna climb all the way to the top," said the boy. Then without warning he looked at Cloud, "What would happen if that pole were to break?" the boy asked. Cloud just shook his head.

            Rinsing the question from his head he staggered into town, just beginning to notice how tired he really was. All of the houses were like shacks, with torn old pieces of scrap metal and wood making up most of their materials.

            Cloud spotted Barret near the front steps of an old wooden house with a porch surrounding it. "Go on in Cloud—don't you wanna see you lady?" asked Barret in a mocking tone.

            Cloud just continued inside of the old house, the second the door opened the voice of a child called out, "Papa!" but upon seeing Cloud the little girl in the pink dress charged off into the back room.

            Biggs, Jessie and Wedge were over at a table eating already, from the other side of the table came a voice, "Marlene! It's rude to run off when someone comes in like that!" A fair skinned brown haired brown haired woman emerged with the little girl Marlene in tow.

            There was a smile on the brunette's face, "Looks like everything went well Cloud," she said. She was a beautiful women with dark brown hair, and hazel eyes. "Did you fight with Barret?" she asked.

            "Yeah," said Cloud.

            "I should have known, you've been prone to fights—and he always starts them!" she said.

            Tifa looked at Cloud through her gorgeous brown eyes; her hair is dark brown and very long. It nearly touches the ground before the small red tie wraps it up. She had on two gloves, one with the fingers out and the other with s metal knuckle on it. Her clothes were pretty skimpy; a white sleeveless shirt that clung tight to her body and a short black skirt with an unbuckled belt for style. Her boots had spikes in the front and cleats on the bottom.

            Cloud nodded, "Thanks for worrying Tifa," he threw one arm around her waist. 

            "Don't be mad at Marlene, she just really missed Barret," said Tifa. She paused upon seeing the flowers in Cloud's hand. "Flowers, how nice…you never see them in Midgar."

            "Well, I thought the same thing," Cloud said calmly.

            Tifa accepted them, "Mm, they smell wonderful!" she said.

            Cloud went and sat on the table, just as Barret entered, "Papa, you're home!" yelled Marlene as Barret scooped her up and put her on his shoulders. The two of them looked very different, she had fair, fair skin, where as Barret had brown skin.

            "You all right, Barret?" asked Tifa?

            Barret smiled bigger than he had until this point, "Great," Barret turned back to his group where they were at the table, "Get back here fools, time for the mettin'!" he said.

            All of them jumped up from the table in a hurry, Jessie and Wedge got up with no problem, Biggs on the other and knocked his chair over. He left it and followed Barret to the back corner of the bar where there was a large love tester game, it was busted.

            Barret kicked and pulled back on the joy stick of the tester, the game started to rock and then head down into the floor. Revealing a long metal ladder, Barret mounted the ladder with Marlene still on his back and headed down, the others followed. 

            Tifa shook her head an smiled as she watched them disappear into the floor, "That's like them," she said. She looked to Cloud, "Well get over there!" she said as she picked the stool up that Biggs had left.

            Cloud ran over and started down the ladder, the room he entered was a control room of some sort. There was a large screen broadcasting the news—it was about the bombing that had been perpetrated. 

            Jessie was parked in front of a computer near the large video screen, she wrapped away on the keyboard. Biggs and Wedge sat together at a small table, and Barret stood at the far side of the room opposite where Cloud entered.

            Wedge looked up, "So you decided to join us?" asked Wedge joking.

            Cloud ignored it as he saw Barret heading his way, he folded his arms and asked spoke, "Yo, Cloud, I wanted to ask you something…"

            "Yeah?"

            "Was there _anyone from SOLDIER fighting us today?" asked Barret._

            Everyone else in the room stopped what they were doing at the sound of the word, _SOLDIER, Cloud burst out laughing—almost darkly, "You're kidding right—because there was none, I'm positive."_

            "You think this shit's funny?" asked Barret, Marlene jumped down at this point. "You sound pretty sure."

            There was nothing humorous about Cloud's expression now, it was dead serious, "If there was anyone from SOLDIER, you wouldn't be standing here now!"

            The rest of the room watched, frozen on the two, "Don't go thin' you so bad jus cus you was in SOLDIER!" Barret said. "Yeah you're strong, all them guys in SOLDIER have to be—you're workin for AVALANCHE now, don't go getting' ideas about hangin' with the Shinra.

            "The Shinra?" Cloud just mumbled. "You asked me a question, a stupid one, but a question nonetheless—all I did was answer it." Cloud headed over to the side of the room where the ladder was, "When your ready to talk about paying me, I'll be upstairs."

            Just before Cloud could start up the ladder, Tifa was on her way down. She let go of the ladder half way down and landed expertly on the ground bending her legs to numb the fall. 

            "Cloud, wait" she started. "Please."

            Barret folded his arms, "Let 'em go, he misses the Shinra!"

            "Shove off," Cloud yelled flipping the table that was in the center of the room over. "I don't care about Shinra, SOLDIER, the Planet or AVALANCHE!" Cloud jumped onto the ladder dodging past Tifa and scrambled back up. 

            Barret starts to wail on the punching back with his fist and his gun fist as fast as he can, sweat dripped down from his brow and splashed down his shoulder. His punches increased on the bag as he hit it. Marlene just watched as her father's rage grew.

            Tifa followed Cloud back up to the top floor of the place, the second she reached the bar floor she turned to see Cloud, before she could even say anything he was starting to open his mouth.

            "Cloud, listen up, you have to join us—we need you," she said.

            Cloud shook his head, "Sorry Tifa," he said.

            Tifa walked over closer to where he was, "The Planet is dying, slowly but it's dying no matter what you say—we all have to do our part—"

            "You sound like one of those preachy old nuts—'the end is coming! Ooo'," Cloud mocked her.

            "I'm serious!" she shouted.

            Cloud folded his arms, "So let Barret and his buddies do something about it, this is nothing to do with me!"

            "Fine be that way, leave—break your promise!" Tifa said.

            Cloud's expression went from indifference to confusion, "What promise?" he asked.

            "You forgot that too, huh?" she asked.

            Cloud tried to form the picture in his mind, it came back slowly. The night it took place there were so many stars in the sky; their numbers seemed endless yet so simple. Cloud was sitting on the side of the large well; the well itself was old and wooden it's entire structure seemed old fashion.

            Cloud was a lot younger, his hair had shorter spikes. There was a disturbed air about him, he just sat staring at the ground. A lot of thoughts were pouring through his mind—his thoughts jumped from thing to thing. He could remember it; but the most prevalent force in his thoughts was Tifa.

            Then she appeared over the back of the well, Cloud turned instinctively to see her. She smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, I'm late—you said you wanted to talk?"

            Cloud hesitated to nod, "Yeah—come this spring I'm out of here?"

            "Where?" 

            He froze again, "I'm going to Midgar—"

            Tifa looked down slowly, slinging her knees from side to side her glossy dark hair moved with her, "All the boys are leaving town—"

            "Yeah, but I'm going to be something special—I'm going to be in the war fighting along side The Great Sephiroth!" Cloud said standing up with a defiant look on his face.

            Tifa seemed concerned, "Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER…and that war with Watui—it's getting pretty dirty I hear…"

            "I won't be able to come back to town for a while—" said Cloud.

            Tifa clasped her hands, "But you'll be in the newspapers if you do well, right?"

            "I'll try—" said Cloud.

            She folded her arms, "Just promise me, that you'll always be here for me," she said.

            "Ummm…"

            "If I ever get into a bind, promise you'll save me, all right?" Tifa said.

            "What?"

            Tifa rolled her eyes, "I've always dreamed that when I get in trouble my hero would be there to save me—like those old stories about the princess and her knight?" she stopped. "You're listening right?" 

            "Yeah—"

            Quickly Tifa shoved him off the side of the well, knocking him to the ground. She tumbled down on top of him and rolled him out across the ground. "Say it!" she commanded playfully.

            "Okay—okay—I promise…………"

His mind flashed back to the present, "I guess you do remember there?" she asked. Her eyes sparkled with a renewed confidence that she had won.

            "I'm not a famous her—I can't keep that promise," said Cloud.

            Tifa clasped her arms behind her back, "But you joined SOLDIER, and that was most of the promise there—you're my hero for just sticking to it."

            Just then Barret appeared in the shaft where the ladder was, he stopped right in front of the spot where the love tester had been, "Wait a moment big time SOLDIER, promises are promises—here's your cut of the deal—I didn't even take out your late fee…"

            Barret handed him fifteen hundred gil, "This is my pay—you'll have to better than this next time!" Cloud said.

            "That means…" Tifa seemed so excited.

            Cloud folded his arms, "I want twice this much next time—" he said.

            "Wait a—" Barret started to say,  Tifa grabbed his arm.

            She whispered in his ear quickly, "We really need the extra help—so let it fly till we hook em." Tifa looked to Cloud, "Thanks, Cloud."


	4. Chapter Three: A Flower in the Slums

**Chapter Three: A Flower In The Slums**

Early the next morning Cloud stumbled to the ladder, he could hear Barret talking about the next target—the Sector Five Reactor, already Cloud adrenaline was taking over his body—the rush was readying him for the pressure. 

            He started up them just as Barret was dismissing Jessie, Biggs and Wedge. On the way up he noticed since they had gotten back to the hideout that Jessie was talking to him as little as possible. He wondered on the notion a little bit—then he got the idea that it might be because of Tifa.

            Barret looked to him, "There you are, spiky ass mofo—I need you to show me how to do that thing with the Materia—" said Barret.

            Cloud pulled his sword off his back carefully, "Look, it's this simple, Materia adds power to your weapons and armor. The Cure Materia I used on you can be shoved into one of these slots on your weapon—that machine gun the robo-scorpion dropped should have some slots, too," Cloud acknowledged two slots on his own sword. 

            Barret looked at him blankly, "I think that you should handle the Materia till I get the hang of it!" said Barret.

            "Will do," Cloud said.

            Tifa stepped out of the back room tying her bow in her hair, "Wait up, I need to go this time! Watch the store Marlene!" said Tifa.

            "All right! Good luck," said the small girl.

As they stepped into the train the piles of morning commuters were apparent, people were packing the benches of the train, and there was the same Shinra Manger from the night before—the man who had been watching over the train. 

            Barret stopped right in the door, Biggs and Wedge stopped right behind him, with Jessie Cloud and Tifa bringing up the rear. With a hasty look around Barret said, "Yo, this looks like it ain't no private car—so split up!"

            The Shinra Train Manager rolled his eyes, "Hoodlums again…"

            "What the hell did you call us?" he asked poking the Manager. The man just shook his head no, "Dammit com'on what was it?" The train car emptied because of the commotion. "What happened, everyone left alluva sudden?"

            "It's empty cause of you!" said the Manager.

            "What?"

            "Yeah—AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings—only a devoted employee would go into tow on a day like this!" said the Manager.

            Tifa yelled at him, "Barret leave the pour man alone!"

            "Lucky son of a bitch," Barret mumbled as he walked off to find a new seat on the now vacant train. Cloud, Biggs, Wedge and Jessie came further into the train and then split up a little. 

            Cloud stayed in the same train car. "So what are we gonna do now?" asked Cloud.

            "Why the hell are you so calm?" asked Barret, "You bustin' my rhythm!" 

            The train moved slightly with a jerk then actually took off. A voice came over the intercom, "Morning ladies and gentlemen—our arrival time at Sector Five station will be 11:45 AM."

            "That means three minutes till the ID scan," Tifa said.

            Cloud folded his arms, "So we jump before then!"

            Tifa walked down the train, "Hey Cloud com' 'ere a—"

            A deafening sound blared over the trains loud speaker, "Impossible—" Cloud stuttered.

            "Type A Security Alert—unidentified passengers!" said the voice. "Locking down train cars—" 

            Cloud rushed the doors, "We're already locked in—the guards will be here soon…" Cloud rushed at the door with Tifa and Barret behind him, "Follow me!" 

            With a single powerful blow Cloud knocked the lock of the door with his sword, Tifa dealt the door a jump kick sending it to the ground and allowing them to run to the next train. Biggs, Jessie and Wedge were at the front of the car, but they were in disguises. Biggs was dressed in the red coat of a Shinra commander. Wedge dressed like a small boy, and Jessie was a business man.

            A door was right behind where Jessie stood, Cloud looked back into the train car from which they had come, "Here come the guards,"

            Tifa took a fighting stance, "Let's send 'em packin!" she said.

            Barret pointed to the door behind Jessie, "There's a door to the outside there—we can go out there!" he suggested.

            They ran for it, the guards behind them caught on and started to chase, but there were plenty of patrons in the train that blocked the way and slowed the guards by now. Barret and Cloud reached Jessie first, "We're in serious shit, I'll explain later—right now you have to jump train!" she said.

            Tifa looked back but Biggs said, "Just do—we'll handle the guards!" 

            Cloud slung his sword out, "This train is going fast—we'll ride the door out to minimize injury and I'll slow us down with my sword." He wrapped his arm around Tifa, Barret stepped In closer, "On the count of three…"

            "One…" Tifa started.

            "Two…" Barrett continued.

            "Three!" Cloud yelled as they jumped from the door and the guards reached Biggs and Jessie.

            Jessie tossed the first one out of the train head first, the second was kneed in the chest by Biggs. 

            "Let's hope their okay!" Biggs said.

            "Yeah…" Jessie sighed.

            The door that the three of them rode out spun dangerously out of control, Cloud's sword sparked as it scraped the ground hard. It seemed to whirl forever in an endless pattern, then it stopped with them facing the train as it sped away. Cloud lifted the sword and they all sighed—in the clear for now.

            Landing from the train had been the hardest part, there was just a relatively thin piece of metal protecting them from death. Cloud was the first to get his stance back, he swept back his spiked hair and examined his sword for any damages that it might have sustained.

            Tifa and Barret surveyed the spot where they had landed, the whole thing looked endlessly the same as the rest of the tunnel. All of the walls were metal and arched up in a blocky way to allow two trains safe passage. Further down the tracks there would an area where the track was just one lane.

            That area would be where there was elevation in the track, since the tracks were a double helix around the main support structure of the city. Barret folded his arms, "Well how do you like that shit?" he asked.

            "I couldn't see how the ID scan could have caught us, we weren't even near it!" Tifa said.

            Barret glanced over at Cloud who was standing further from them wiping his blade down with a cloth as he studied it further, "I'll tell you how we got caught!" Barret said, "This Shinra bitch here probably ratted us out!" 

            Cloud lunged from his spot quickly, yelling right in Barret's face, "I'm not working for Shinra anymore, and I'll be damned it I have to join up with some group just to be part of something—I'm in this for money—and nothing else!"

            "What about our promise?" Tifa asked Cloud.

            Cloud struck off down the path in the direction the train had been moving, "It's not even valid he said as he continued to walk.

            Tifa and Barret started after him, "What do you mean, 'not valid'?" she asked.

            "The man who made you that promise died with Sephiroth—and just like Sephiroth that promise is just a relic of the Wutai war," said Cloud.

            Barret's voice showed a little compassion, "Cloud, heroes like Sephiroth don't die…" Barret was cut off in mid-sentence.

            "I would hardly call him a 'hero' Tifa said getting a smug attitude about her pretty face.

            Cloud, catching the anger in her voice turned and stared at her, "You're always pretty when you're mad," he said.

            "People always make me mad—" she uttered turning her head away.

            Without warning there was a sound like thunder, with it rumble it grew louder and closer. The entire tunnel quaked with a tremendous ferocity. A huge passenger train emerged from the direction they had been headed in, it shook and rocked on the tracks as it passed.

            "Let's just get this mission over with—after that I'm heading out to find somewhere I can make more money," Cloud said.

            Ignoring the last comment Barret and Tifa moved to catch up with Cloud. Tifa's hair swayed from side to side in the back as she walked, Cloud just watched this motion fascinated by her.

            As he continued to that horrible ringing came back into his ears and dropped to his knees, a voice in the back of his head spoke again, this time it was more familiar, more like an old friend, _"Find somewhere to make money—who's idea was it for you to move to Midgar—you haven't always lived here…"_

Cloud answered it in his own head, "I moved hear after…after a great loss…who are you?" 

            _"But who wanted to move here?"_ said the voice again.

            Cloud's voice was screaming at the other voice only in his head, "I don't know what you mean, leave me the hell alone!" 

            Cloud felt a petite hand grab hold of his shoulder, he was sure it belonged to Tifa. With that sensation he shot to his normal state of high alert, his body jolted him to his feet and jumped back against the wall.

            "What's the matter?!" Tifa asked, "Are you alright?"

            Cloud looked at Barret, he knew Barret remembered the last time this happened, in the reactor, "Yeah, I'm—just a little tire, maybe I'm coming down with something—" Cloud's glowing eyes stared at her so hard that they seemed to pierce her very being and cut through her.

            Barret just turned away, he noticed something further down the way they were heading. It looked like giant green beams of light were cutting across the tracks. He pointed them out, "What's up with those damn green lights?" he asked.

            Cloud stepped off from the wall and stared further down the track, "Those are the ID scan beams, if we pass through them we'll be caught for sure…"

            Tifa looked back the way they had come, "So the trail ends here?" she asked.

            Barret nodded, "This mission ain't looking too good—something just don't seem right…"

            Right near the ID scan beams Cloud noticed something on the ground, a large lose hatch. He walked over wordlessly and kicked the hatch open, "This must be where the workers go in to fix the tracks."

            "Wouldn't this be connected to the rest of the sewer system?" asked Barret.

            Cloud nodded, "I would think so, since the sewers usually run right down through the slums and up to the side of the reactor—considering where we left from—we might just be a hundred yards from the entrance to the reactor…"

            "And a few feet beneath the upper part of Sector Five," Tifa said.

            Barret and Tifa joined Cloud over by the hole just before Cloud looked back and checked to see where they were, "Let's get this over with," sticking his foot down into the hole and feeling for a ladder. It was easily found even in the dark.

            With metal clangs marking his every step Cloud headed down into the dark depths, Tifa tapped Barret on the back, "You jus go next," he said.

            Tifa nodded, "I got you," she said heading down the ladder after Cloud. The rungs of the metal ladder were slightly damp—but it was better than trying to walk through the ID scan—no telling what the Shinra had there for them.

            Barret came down into the dark abyss last—and after he got started he could see the ground far below—he sincerely hoped that they wouldn't have to come back out like this. He yelled down to Cloud, "Yo Cloud, don't take us back out this way, foo', black folks don't like heights!" he said.

            Cloud laughed slightly, "What ever man," he said.

            When Cloud hit the ground he waited for Tifa, then helped her off the ladder. As he touched her arm the warmth of her soft gentle skin ran through his body. It had been so long since he touched her. He could hardly remember how much he had missed her for all of those years. 

            It felt good to hold her hand, even for the short time while she jumped off the ladder. "Thank you," she said.

            Cloud nodded.

            Barret got help from both of them; he outweighed and outsized them all. He stood about six foot five and weighted two hundred and thirty pounds. He was a hell of a lot to get when he put his mass into getting off.

            "Thanks foo'," he said to them both.

            Cloud had already started to look around, "Yeah, but where are we?" 

            The area around them was filled with large wooden crates that were stacked as high as two men. Some of the crate stacks were covered with drop cloths. Tifa walked over to the nearest stack of crates, which was covered, "What are all these?" she asked lifting the cover on one. 

            In large blood red letters were the words, _Shinra Corp._, Barret just shook his head upon seeing it, "Whatever it is, it can't be no good for us—let's get a move on!"

            Cloud folded his arms, "Where do we go next, though?" asked Cloud.

            Barret scanned the area, there were plenty of boxes, but nothing else, he looked back at the hole they had come through. There was an air vent just past the hole that was large enough for them to crawl into, "This way—we'll take this ol' vent up to the actual sewer—it should come out right at the side of the reactor."

            The ladder was shorter than the last, but this time Barret went first, then Tifa and then Cloud. It wasn't even that had a climb, but the air ventilation shaft slanted up slightly so they had to make and effort at it. When they reached opening at the end, they flung themselves free of the dusty interior, right there by the side of the opening was Biggs.

            He smiled over at them as they emerged, "Good thing you guys jumped train when you did—they think you were just some kids—boy are they about to have their asses handed to them on a silver platter, huh?" Biggs elbowed Barret who had come out and stood to the other side of Biggs for Tifa and Cloud to get free.

            "What happened to Jessie and Wedge?" asked Cloud.

            Biggs looked around, "No idea, Jessie and I jumped together but we got separated by the ID scan beams—Wedge didn't come with us—" 

            "Let's hope they' both alright!" Tifa said clasping her hands.

            Barret slapped Biggs on the back, "We're gonna go on—"

            "Watch out for the creatures down here, I had to fight some off…" Biggs said.

            Cloud nodded, "We'll keep that in mind, he said as they all walked off down the passage ways. There was only two ways to go—and one of them was going in the opposite direction they wanted. 

            As they headed down the twisting one-way passage they came to a set of steps that went up about a story. 

            "As we get further this way we're going up—Tifa said.

            Barret and Cloud didn't respond and took the stairs at full speed, they reached the top quickly and spotted Jessie standing over by a large door, she must have passed this way even before Biggs had come.

            As they approached her they noticed she was sobbing lightly into her hands. The sounds of their boots my have alerted her, she gazed up, "Guys—I—I'm sorry," she said.

            Tifa glanced at her with an odd expression, "Um—okay—" she said.

            Jessie stood up away from the door, "Go through here and you'll be outside the reactor—" she said between sobs. "It's all yours after that."

            They nodded walking off into the next room, but Jessie grabbed Cloud by the arm and stopped him, she pulled him over to the side while using her hand to signal for the others to go on.

            The doors opened automatically, and they stepped through leaving Cloud and Jessie alone. She stared into Cloud's glowing eyes and smiled slightly through all the tears, "Cloud—I don't know how to describe how sorry I am—I fucked up…"

            "What did you do?" he asked.

            She shook her head as if she didn't understand herself, "I called myself making your card with love and compassion so maybe just once a guy would notice me—I've never had anyone to really love before and I feel this strange thing for you I don't know how to express…"

            Cloud just stared for a long time, sighed then said, "It's not your fault—" he paused. "And I'm not a guy you want to be with—I lie—and I'm just not a good person…all I need in life is enough money to get by from day to day…"

            "What about love—it's worth more than anything—one day you'll see it!"

            Cloud stared to turn around, "Jessie I—"

            Before he could finish the sentence she jumped in front of him, pulled herself up to his face and kissed him forcefully. Her tongue came into his mouth and he just stopped fighting it all together—figuring just let it be, see where it takes you…

            Their lips danced together for seconds, and in one sudden motion she pulled herself back just out of reach.

            Then she let go of him, tears falling from her eyes faster now, she turned away almost embarrassed to even look him in the face, her hand covered her eyes as she faced the other way.

            "Just go on through the door Cloud—" she paused and then yelled, "Go!"

            Cloud walked up to the door while looking back at her, the door opened and he gave her one final glance and charged off out the door. What he was expecting to be there; a hall, some steps, wasn't there at all instead he went sliding incredibly fast down a large metal ramp. 

            The speed was too much for him to even get a handle on where he was, fighting for control as he spun around quickly. Cloud hit the ground stumbling to his feet and almost hitting some tall metal barrels of something. He caught himself on them, gazing up to see Barret and Tifa before him.

            "Damn, you ready yet—?" Barret wandered out loud.

            Cloud stood back to his feet and looked around, it looked exactly like the area in the first reactor they had done where they came down the long stairs; only this time they got to skip the stairs.

            Tifa folded her arms, "Where to now?" she asked.

            Barret threw his hand in the air, "I know the way, follow me!" he charged off through the place holding his gun arm out in front of him ready to fire. They went up to just where the stairs touched the ground.

            Tifa couldn't help but glance up, way up to where the reactor exit was. Barret had explained to her that they would have to high tail it out of there in one hell of a rush, but she was just beginning to understand.

            All of them took a right turn and ran single file through the door into the reactor, this part was much different from that of the first reactor. The entire thing held a gold type hue glow through out the room. 

            There was a walk way over to an area where ladders led down to a bridge of pipes. Cloud led the way and Tifa took up the end this time around. They headed down ladder after ladder coming ever closer to the pipes below. When they finally got down to the pipes Cloud glanced over the side at the raw Mako down below erupting from the fissure in the rock as glowing steam.

            There was a long bridge of pipes that led across the huge Mako below. No railing stood on the side of the pipes to protect them, which meant that every Shinra employee that had walked through here did so unprotected from a great and deadly fall.

            Even so, Barret, Tifa and Cloud reached other side with out any complications. Now they stood right in front of the reactor hatch, just like Barret and Cloud had the previous night. "Ya' do tha honors now," Barret said slapping Cloud on the back.

            Cloud went to set the bomb, he got down on one knee, and then once again the horrible sound rang in his head, worse now than the previous encounters.

            He dropped to his knees blacking out. There was a foggy darkness that over took him, spinning through time and murky space, he was being cast into another dream.

            In his mind he saw that same girl from before, she was standing over the body of a man, "Papa…" she said once. 

            All too quick Cloud remembered who the girl was, Tifa! Then she threw her arms back and screamed, "Mako, Shinra, Sephiroth, SOLIDER…I hate them all!"

            The dream faded away and all that remained—darkness, wrapping itself around Cloud. He could hear a voice faintly calling him, "Cloud…oh God…wake up Cloud…"

            When Cloud came awake Barret and Tifa were staring down at him, Barret just shook his head. "There's somethin' seriously wrong wit this one…"

            Cloud couldn't say anything else until he addressed the pain he felt in his head, "Aw, dammit, my head…"

            Tifa took his hand to help him up, "We have to get out of here…the bomb's set—"

            Cloud got his stance back fully, "It's set, then we don't have much time!"

            "Can you walk?" asked Barret.

            Cloud nodded.

            Barret got off to a start, "Then let's go!"

            No one wanted to mention the fact that there was no guards yet and that seemed to odd—no need to jinx things that they had going for them. They reached the room where the stairs were, but this time they sprinted back up the stairs, not knowing what to expect—rushing into the unknown.

            The room that held the stairs was like a pit on the side of a great wall. The wall was wrapped by pipes and various steel beams for support. There were several exhaust emitting points that could be noted by a slightly glowing steam that rose from them. The three headed around the corner to the next set of stairs after reaching the middle platform. Just in view of the last riser was the door, they were as good as home free!

            They rushed into the elevator waiting for them at the top step and Cloud pressed the button.  Barret and Tifa sunk back on the wall, "This is a' shit load easier than tha last un, what's the damn deal?" 

            Cloud shook his head, "I don't know, but I don't like it…"

            The elevator doors opened and the three of them rushed out into a hallway, still no sign of the guards. They continued on down the hall until it bent slightly to the left and they followed it right to the exit. 

            When they stepped out they were on a t-shaped catwalk just as there had been at the first reactor. Quickly they made a run for the middle of the t. Barret took a left, "This way!" he called. Right was only a dead end.

            As they started to follow Barret, a loud sound like stomping came from the path they were heading for. A score of soldiers stepped out aiming machine guns at them. 

            Barret froze and Cloud and Tifa almost ran into his back, "What is this?" Barret asked.

            "…a trap…" Cloud said looking around.

            Tifa pointed to the entrance to the reactor, "Look!" she hollered.

            A short chubby blonde man with a thick bristly mustache emerged from the reactor. His suit was blood red and buttoned up all the way to the top.

            Barret headed back to the middle of the t, "President Shinra?"

            "Why the hell is he here?" asked Tifa.

            Cloud shook his head, "He's just putting his life in needless danger!" Cloud said.

            "Damn straight, cause I'm going to light a fire up unda his ass!" Barret yelled cocking the gun on his arm and loading a new clip into it. He started to fire but. To their surprise the group of soldiers didn't fire. "This is for my wife!"

            The bullets just hit some sort of field in front of the President and stopped falling to the ground as if someone had lightly plucked them from the air and dropped them. Barret stopped as President Shinra billowed his loud sinister laugh.

            "You must be that group of 'freedom fighters', what are you called again…TIDAL WAVE?" he thought for a moment, "Naw, that's not it…"

            "AVALANCHE bitch—and remember it!" Barret yelled. 

            Cloud stepped forward, "Long time no see to you too…"

            "Your tha ex-SOLDIER that joined the ranks of these terrorists…" said the President. "What was yer name again?" he asked.

            "Cloud."

            "Sorry I had to ask—but you're no Sephiroth you know—" Shinra answered. He shook his head, "A shame he had to die—he was a brilliant warrior, perhaps too brilliant." 

            "Sephiroth…?" Cloud said.

            "Shut the fuck up and run you ol' bastard cause this place is goin' straight to hell when that bomb goes!" Barret yelled.

            "Yeah," Tifa hyped.

            The President turned his narrow pointed nose up at them, "Sorry, I have no time to waste on vermin like you—there's a dinner I must attend."

            "Wait a sec, you're the only vermin I see, you planet kill lying bastards!" Barret yelled.

            "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you," as the President said that a helicopter dropped from the sky off to the side of the catwalk. The pilots dark skinned man and a man with long black hair rolling down his back. Each of them were in blue suits. "I have playmate to keep you occupied while I get back to work—a real job…"

            A loud buzzing sound started, like a bee but louder. "What's that sound?" Tifa wondered.

            "Sounds like some bees, what the hell is it?" Barret asked.

            Cloud looked back to see President Shinra climbing into the back of the helicopter. The Shinra then announced over the intercom, "I call him Airbuster—he's just the first of many techno-SOLDIERS, a little experiment that Scarlet cooked up!"

            The helicopter banked right and lifted off across the top of the reactor, just as it left a huge hulking robot that hovered a few feet off the ground approached them. Barret and Tifa jumped to the side, but Cloud was hit by the robot.

            He grabbed the front of it and hung on as it tried to shake him off, "Cloud!" Tifa yelled.

            The robot stopped and Cloud dropped down in front of it, the thing was too big for anyone to go around it, it covered the entire walkway. As Cloud lay there half unconscious the robot advanced on Tifa and Barret.

            Barret was loading his gun again, Tifa jumped in kicking the front of the robot to deflect it back.

            "Get yo' spikey ass up Cloud, we need help!" Barret yelled.

            Cloud rose up pulling his sword out again, Airbuster looked bigger than it had before. It's fists were clenched tight in front of it; the thing's shoulders rose well above it's head. There was a large high powered jet on the back keep mechanical menace in the air.

            Barret opened fire on it's front, it started to move for him and then two gun turrets appeared out of the palms of the clenched hands. Airbuster opened fire and Tifa jumped to the side as Barret slid under the gunfire.

            Cloud ran at the thing taking his sword in one hand, which was hard to do because of it's massive weight, and he jumped onto the back of the robotic fiend. As the Airbuster sensed him it went wild, flying off the side of the walkway zipping and dipping in no pattern at all. 

            "Shoot the damn thing and distract it Barret!" Cloud yelled.

            Barret looked back at Tifa, she just said, "No, you might hit Cloud!" she yelled. He nodded and then opened fire.

            The thing ran straight into Barret hail of gunfire, it tired to turn but Cloud swung it shifting it's weight too much. Then Cloud went to work, he slammed his sword into the back of the things head as hard as he could, "I don't call it the Buster Sword for nothin'!" Cloud said.

            Airbuster started to jolt from side to side and spark a lot, it was falling apart now. It sailed down over the entrance to the reactor and came back down the middle of the walkway. Cloud could see that the thing was loosing altitude, he jumped off just before it went crashing into the ground with a resulting catastrophic explosion.

            The was massively severed by the explosion and when the smoke cleared there was Cloud hanging onto the ledge by one hand, the Buster Sword weight down the other. Tifa cried out, "Barret, is there something you can do?" 

            "Not a damn thing!" Barret yelled, "But this reactor is going to blow taking us with it!"

            Tifa flattened herself out across the walkway, "Hang in there Cloud—I won't let you down!" she yelled.

            "Just go Tifa!" Cloud yelled. "Get her outta here Barret!"

            Barret shook his head, "Sorry bout this!" he pulled Tifa by the hand.

            "Stop talking like it's the end—I've been in worse!" Cloud yelled.

            The reactor exploded and Barret lifted Tifa pulling her away as she screamed and cried. Cloud let go of the walkway just as they fire reached where he was hanging, almost burning him, Then he sailed down into the abyss of the Sector Five…

In Cloud's mind there was darkness, and he was standing in the middle of it, holding his sword. A voice was all around him, calling to him, _"…you alright?" the voice was not the one before—it was a beautiful light hearted airy voice._

            _"Can you hear me?" the voice said this time._

            Cloud answered it feebly, "Ye—yeah…"

            Then the other voice came back—the one that had plagued him since the first reactor, _"Back then you get by with just skinned knees?"_

            "What do you mean by back then…" Cloud called.

            The womans soft light voice poked in again, _"He's moving!"_

            Then there was the other plaguing voice, _"Take it one step at a time, Cloud, get up!"_

            Cloud's eyes shot open and he found himself staring into the bright green eyes of the pretty brown haired flower girl that he had only seen last night—it seemed like a life time ago.

            He looked over to his side to see what he was lying in, slowly he sat up to find himself surrounded by flowers. "So this is where you got them from…" Cloud mumbled,

            "Hey, I thought it was you—the guy who brought my flower!" Said the flower merchant.

            Cloud got to his feet, "Yeah—I remember all of that." He noticed that the flower girl was prettier now than the night before. Her brown hair shimmered in the ethereal light that poured through the roof. Her emerald eyes glowed almost like jewels. Her waist was slender and tapered off to her round hips. 

            She rushed to his side, "Oh my, you had a terrible fall, be careful—don't over exert yourself so fast you—" the girl caught a glimpse of his eyes and froze, "you're going to get hurt…" she said with a smile.

            "Where am I?" he asked.

            She pointed around, "A church in Sector Five…"

            Cloud looked up and around to see rows of pews going back all the way to the wall. There was a large cross in the back of the room hanging from the ceiling, the girl spoke again, "The roof and flowers must have broken your fall—"

            "Yeah—I guess so…" Cloud said. "Sorry about your flowers."

            She smiled as she knelt down and touched the flowers lightly, "It's okay—they're strong flowers."

            "How do they grown…" Cloud asked.

            She shook her head, "They say you can't grow flowers in Midgar—but there seemed to be no problem in this sacred place…"

            "What is this…"

            "An old Cathedral…from back when the planet was young…" said the girl. "I love it here." She bent over the flowers to pick at them, Cloud noticed a glowing white orb in her hair.

            "Hey is that thing in your hair Materia?" asked Cloud.

            The girl looked up at him from the ground, "Yeah—but it's good for nothing, I could never make it work…"

            "Funny I've seen plenty of different Materias, but never a white one…" Cloud said.

            The girl smiled, "I just keep it around because it belonged to me mother…" she continued to check her flowers. Then she looked up, "We haven't been properly introduced yet have we?" she asked.

            Cloud shook his head and she got to her feet and stuck her hand out.

            "My name's Aeris…" she shook his hand, "Nice to meet you…"

            "Cloud…and nice to meet you too."

            Behind them as they were just learning each other's names a  pale man stepped in wearing the same blue suits that had been on the two helicopter pilots. But he wore the suit in a different style, the blue suit jacket was unbuttoned and his white button up shirt hung out of his pants. Part of his bare chest was showing. The man had spiked red hair that struck high into the air. There was a pair of coolly placed sunglasses blurring the line between the skin and hair. His nose was sharp and came to a point. His eyes were narrow and his lips pursed. The man just stood there for a while, then took a few steps.

**  
**


	5. Chapter Four: Bodyguard

**Chapter Four: Bodyguard**

Cloud heard this sound and was immediately alerted to someone else's presence there. He felt a hand grab his arm, it was Aeris. He shook her off and walked back between the first the first two pews, "Don't let him get you!" Aeris called.

            Cloud just shrugged. As he got closer to the figure all the man could say was, "Oi, don't worry 'bout me, mate!" he said slyly with a strong accent that could only be described as Australian. 

            Cloud turned back to go stand by Aeris, "Say, have you ever been a bodyguard?" asked Cloud.

            "Not really—doesn't sound too hard…" Cloud said.

            Aeris threw her arms around his waist, "Then get me out of here, take me home…"

            "Okay—but I usually charge for stuff like this—but I don't want to take your money," Cloud said.

            "Then take a date…I really want you to have something to show for this—"

            Cloud nodded, "Alright, I'll take that, from a pretty girl like you…"

            Aeris got behind Cloud, and then Cloud stared towards the man near the door, "Who are you anyway?" he asked.

            The pale man just stood there, "Aye, I know ya, mate…"

            "How the hell do you know me?" Cloud grumbled.

            There was a flash of memory in Cloud's head, "Wait, I do know you—" Cloud then confessed. "You're…that uniform…"

            A score of guards rushed in, the commander of the guards looked to the red head, "Reno sir, you want them taken out…"

            "I haven't quite made up my mind," said Reno.

            Aeris pushed past Cloud, "Don't you dare fight in this church, it's a holy place and you could ruin the flowers!" Then she grabbed Cloud by the arm and ran across the altar and out a door in the back of the church, "This is the exit."

            Reno stepped over towards where Cloud and Aeris had run out, he stopped off to the side of the flowers looking at the lush greenery. He stooped down and felt the flowers. Then he plucked on, "Odd enough, mates—I did you get a good look see at his eyes…they were Mako eyes…"

            Reno started to walk off sweeping his ponytail out from behind him and then fixing his bangs, "Follow me, and DON'T step on the flowers," Reno said walking off.

Cloud could see why the church had been closed, a relic of the old Shinra space program had made it's mark here, and it looked like he wasn't the first thing to crash through the roof. A large old Rocket was protruding from the roof into the ground of the back room.

            Cloud and Aeris walked towards it, the old rusted thing had cracked a good deal of the floor up and destroyed enough of the walk way to make it impassable.

            Cloud took her by the hand and the jumped onto the slick surface of the rocket and then to another part of the walkway. They ran a little further, heading up a long flight of stairs and going around the top of the church. They passed some stained glass windows and were just about to reach the ladder that led to the rafters when Reno's voice called, "Up there, shoot!"

            "The Ancient is getting' away you heard em boys!" yelled the commander. 

            All of the guards opened fire and the bullets splintered the wood up, Aeris went to run but slipped on the Rocket which was running across the middle of the floor at this part. She rolled down the body of the rocket and landed in the pit below—fully exposed to all the guards.

            Cloud yelled down to her, "Hold on!" he looked around formulating a plan, then he saw it up above, some barrels on the rafters.

            "Help Cloud.

            He ran up to the rafters and grabbed one of the  barrels getting ready to shove it down. Positioning himself just right he caught the first guard that advanced on Aeris, the barrel was launched from the rafters and landed directly on the back of the guard. 

            Aeris ran to the rocket and climbed back up the side of it's surface, finding several foot holds. The remaining guards fired at her, but Cloud ran to get the last barrel. He threw it at one of the firing guards knocking him into one of the other ones down.

            Reno cursed, "Dammit, can't you fools get one murdering right, look she's getting away!" Cloud and Aeris were scampering across the rafters. 

            There was a sound like a ringing, Reno reached down and picked his cell phone up, it was President Shinra, "Reno, I'm at that dinner party—get back to Shinra Headquarters, we've been hit again by AVALANCHE and we have to make plans for a counter strike…"

Out on the roof of the church Cloud and Aeris rested as they looked out across the top of Sector five. There plenty of roaming patrols of guards who seemed to not notice that the pair was on the roof of that church. 

As they sat there Aeris looked over at him, "Thanks, I can't believe they're looking for me again…" she said.

            Cloud gave her a peculiar look, "What do you mean, this isn't the first time?" asked Cloud.

            "Naw—and I doubt it will be the last," Aeris said.

            Cloud nodded, "They're the Turks—a small part of Shinra, usually they scout out possible recruits for SOLDIER…"

            "Why so roughly?" asked Aeris. "I figured they were going to kidnap me…"

            "Yeah, they do a lot of illegal things on the side, murder, steal, arson and kidnapping too…" said Cloud. "The rest of the Shinra try to come off as clean, someone has to get down and dirty…"

            Aeris folded her arms, "They look like the type."

            "But there's some reason they're after you, what could it be?" asked Cloud thinking. He and Aeris got to their feet.

            "I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER…"

            Cloud nodded, "Maybe you do—are you going to join?"

            "I don't know…I just don't want them to catch me!..." Aeris said.

            Cloud took her hand, "Then we better get a move on."

            The two of them skipped from house to house, jumping their way to safety. In the distance the church stood, now the missing side of the church could be seen easily. On the far let side of the church the walls had crumbled in and great white pillars that had held it up where snapped and weathered down.

            As Cloud jumped ahead he got too far and Aeris screamed then exclaimed, "Wait…I said wait!" She slowly jumped the same path Cloud had taken, when she reached him she wheezed to catch her breath. Then she dusted her shoulders off and put her head to her chest and heaved a large sigh. "Slow down…don't leave me," she begged.

            Cloud laughed, "Funny...they want you to be in SOLDIER…"

            She scolded him, "On you think you're funny! You're terrible!" she paused, "I thought you had to have good character to be in SOLDIER…how come they let you in?" asked Aeris.

            "I used to…hey how'd you know that?" asked Cloud surprised by her knowledge.

            She smiled, "I've known since the other night, your eyes have that distinct…Mako glow…" she said getting closer to his face. "You only get that when your infused with Mako…"

            Cloud shook his head, "How did you learn all of this?" he asked.

            "It doesn't matter—let's just get a move on, my mom will be worried…" Aeris said.

            The two of them ran to the edge of the roof and jumped off quickly, they landed in the middle of a dirt path that led to different parts of Sector five. The path was pretty short. They passed through a large metal make shift gateway. On the other side there were various houses and heaps of junk piled up around the path. 

            Aeris pointed the way out, "Turn right here…" she said.

            Cloud took the right and they walked right into the middle of a small shanty town, there were houses made of scrap metal everywhere. On the back side of the town there was a bus that had a welcome mat in front of it. Aeris smiled, "Finally home!" she said.

            "Um, this is home?" he asked.

            They walked a little further into town and there was a man in brown pants and a blue shirt standing next to a pipe, he grabbed Cloud by the shoulder, "Do you think you could help the guy in the pipe, all he ever says is uh or ah…" the man said.

            Cloud nodded, "I'll have a look at him, "Do you mind Aeris?" he asked.

            She shook her head, "The man's sick—he's been here a while," she said.

            The two of them entered the pipe, there was a sleeping bag on the floor with a pillow at the top and a small table with some personal items on it. At the very end of the pipe was television running the only station—the Shinra news.

            Cloud walked over to the man, "Are you alright buddy?" he asked.

            The man looked up at Cloud—"You, you're on—the mark," the man spoke and startled them both. He was holding up his hand and Aeris read the number on it, two. Then the man shouted, "He comes—Sephiroth—the Mako…" then his head dropped back down.

            Cloud and Aeris came out of the pipe, "I'm no doctor, but it's safe to say that this man has some form of Mako Poisoning…" he told Aeris.

            "Can we help him?" asked Aeris.

            Cloud shook his head, "He'll mostly likely be delirious until his body goes into shock and dies." 

            Aeris dropped her head, "Sad…"

            "Where's your house?" Cloud asked.

            Grabbing his hand Aeris pulled him through town, "Follow me, it's not far!" she said. The two of them walked over to the corner of the small town and entered a small cave like structure, it was dark inside and when they came out they were in the middle of tall green grass. 

            There were flowers all around them, Cloud opened his mouth in awe, "Aeris, it's beautiful." 

            She walked him to the house, "I want you to meet mom," Aeris said.

            The house was pretty inside, with cobble stone floors and wooden steps on the far side. There was a large book case in the back with green books, in the center of the room there was a round table set with tea cups and a tea pot. On the right side of the room was a large case of china.

            At the table there was a young woman with brown hair and dark brown eyes. She appeared to be a kind and gentle soul. Her white apron was dirty from house cleaning and under it she wore a long green dress.

            "Oh, God, Aeris, are you alright?" asked the woman.

            Cloud just stood back, "I'm alright, I had Cloud to protect me…"

            She walked over to Cloud and hugged him, "Oh thank heavens!" she exclaimed. Then she walked off towards the stairs and went up.

            Aeris turned to Cloud, "So what are you going to do now?"

            "How far is Sector Seven from here?" asked Cloud, "I need to get back to Tifa's bar…"

            "Is she your girlfriend?" asked Aeris.

            Cloud looked around, "Who's Tifa…is she your girlfriend?"

            "No way!" Cloud said.

            Aeris laughed, "You don't have to get so testy about it…" she paused, "I can show you the way."

            "No, you can't put yourself in that kind of danger!' Cloud said.

            "I'm used to it!" said Aeris.

            Cloud folded his arms, "I don't know…getting help from girls—what kind of SOLDIER would I be?" asked Cloud.

            "A girl! What do you mean by that…you expect me not to go now, after that!" Aeris said. "Well you got another thing comin' mister!" said Aeris, "Mom, I'm taking Cloud to Sector Seven, be back soon!" 

            Her mother emerged from down stairs, "But dear, I give up, you never listen anyway…" said her mother, "But why not go tomorrow, it's getting late."

            "Alright mother I'll go make the bed," said Aeris, she went off up the stairs. 

            Her mother approached Cloud, "I noticed your eyes, you're from SOLDIER…"

            "Yeah I used to be, but that's behind me now…"

            She nodded, "I don't want to sound rude but, would you please leave here tonight and not tell Aeris?" 

            Cloud nodded, "I'll try…"

            Aeris came charging back down the stairs and her mother walked off up the stairs from where her daughter had come. She walked over to Cloud, "Would you like to have some cake and tea with me?" she asked, "I made them myself."

            "Yeah…I'd love to!" said Cloud, he looked up and saw her mother stand on the stairs watching them closely.

            Aeris smiled as she carried the freshly baked cake to the table, "I just love to bake, I'm so good at it…if must be in my spirit or something…" she paused. "Have you ever baked anything?" she asked.

            "I can't say I have…"

            "When was the last time someone baked for you?" she asked.

            There was a flash of something in Cloud's memory, he was in a house laying on his back with a blonde woman handing him a large slice of cake, she looked him in the eyes and said, "Eat up honey—it's your favorite."

            He flashed back to reality, "It was five years ago, when I visited my home town…my mother baked it for me." 

            Aeris looked at him, "You seem disturbed…"

            "It's just something about my home—I don't want to say…" Cloud said as he started to eat the cake. He finished it in silence, "Thank you, you've been so generous—but I really need to get some rest for the trip tomorrow," he said.


End file.
